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. 2012 Sep 12;53(10):6122-8.
doi: 10.1167/iovs.12-10293.

Associations between local retinal thickness and function in early diabetes

Kavita P Dhamdhere  1 , Marcus A Bearse Jr, Wendy Harrison, Shirin Barez, Marilyn E Schneck, Anthony J Adams
Affiliations

Associations between local retinal thickness and function in early diabetes

Kavita P Dhamdhere et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. .

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate, using multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), potential spatial associations between local neuroretinal function and local retinal thickness in patients with diabetes.

Methods: Forty-five patients without retinopathy (10 with Type 1 diabetes; 35 with Type 2 diabetes; 49.9 ± 10.9 years old) and 29 age-similar controls (47.0 ± 12.8 years old) were studied. N1-P1 amplitude (AMP) and P1 implicit time (IT) of mfERGs within the central approximately 20° diameter were compared to spatially corresponding full retinal thickness measurements acquired by Stratus OCT3. AMP and IT were converted to Z-scores and retinal thickness was converted to percentile values. Local abnormalities were defined as P ≤ 0.023. Subject group differences were examined using t-tests. Retinal thickness was compared to mfERGs to determine spatial associations.

Results: Average retinal thicknesses were similar for all subject groups. The Type 1 group and controls had similar IT and AMP. The Type 2 group had reduced AMP and longer IT than the controls and the Type 1 group (P < 0.001). Local associations between retinal thickness and mfERGs were not significant within any subject group or individuals, even for abnormal locations (P ≥ 0.09). Abnormalities in most measures were greater in the patient groups than in the controls (P < 0.008) except retinal thinning in the Type 1 group.

Conclusions: Local neuroretinal function is not associated with full retinal thickness measured locally in patients with diabetes and no retinopathy, even in abnormal locations. Full retinal thickness measured locally by OCT is not a surrogate for mfERGs in early diabetes. Neuroretinal function in Type 2 diabetes is worse than in Type 1 diabetes and controls. Fewer subjects in the Type 1 group could be a potential limitation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: K.P. Dhamdhere, None; M.A. Bearse Jr, None; W. Harrison, None; S. Barez, None; M.E. Schneck, None; A.J. Adams, None

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The central 37 mfERG stimulus hexagons corresponding to the central 20° of OCT radial scans (A). Pseudo-color map of retinal thickness generated by interpolating the points between each scan using triangle-based linear interpolation (B).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Group differences for IT, AMP, and full retinal thickness. The Type 2 group had longer IT and lower AMP than the Type 1 and Control groups. Total retinal thicknesses of the three groups were similar.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
mfERG and full retinal thickness abnormality percentages.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Association between full retinal thickness and mfERG IT in the Type 2 group.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Association between retinal thickness and mfERG AMP in the Type 2 group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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